Most of the claims on the front of makeup packaging mean absolutely nothing. Here's what you need to know to cut through the marketing jargon

Chances are you've seen these phrases on makeup labels -- and maybe you've even been persuaded to buy something because of one of these claims. Unfortunately, most of them don't mean much -- and even the ones that are technically accurate can be misleading.

That's partly because the FDA does not regulate what goes into cosmetics. And while there are guidelines for labeling, there's no review process in place. Most industry experts believe that's a good thing; if smaller brands had to jump through the FDA's countless hoops, most would never even make it to market, let alone succeed. But the lack of regulations also means that the responsibility then falls on consumers. It's our responsibility to see through the label lingo and understand what we're putting on our faces.

We talked to experts -- from dermatologists to manufacturers -- to find out what we really need to know when reading a makeup label. Most of the valuable information isn't on the front or anywhere in the product's name -- that's mostly marketing language created to get us to buy the product.

If you want to truly understand what goes into a formula, the list of ingredients is the best place to start -- and you may want to take a chemistry course before you begin. Here, we're decoding what the claims on makeup labels really mean to make it easier to understand what you're really putting on your skin.

thank you! i had so many times this discussion with some or other sales person that insisted that "this product won't give you an allergic reaction/won't react with your sensitive skin, it's natural!" my reply is usually along the lines that strawberries are natural, still people are allergic to them...